the simple life

Update on Uranium Mining Proposal in Virginia

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Those of you who have followed this blog for some time have read some posts about the proposed uranium mining in Virginia, where I will be moving soon to start a farmette.  Well I have been very concerned about this for many reasons – health, Virginia unsuitable climate for mining, a possible scenario for great contamination, and other issues, including our proximity to the proposed site, at only a few miles.

Well, today I am sharing the good news and that is – THE PROPOSAL WAS DEFEATED!  At least for now, but this is great news.  Here is where you can read about it – Uranium Mining Proposal Suffers Major Defeat/Keep the Ban.  I am extremely happy about this, and I am thanking again all of you who voted to keep the ban in uranium mining in Virginia.  I will keep you informed on the latest developments.  If you want to read more on this important issue that affects other states such as North Carolina, since its supply of water comes from Virginia, in part, you can visit the Keep the Ban website.

Your Wish is my Command

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I had wished for two things and I got them for my birthday.  To me, a birthday should be about celebration, but also about the things you love or wish.  It is the day that you go all me-me-me, and you are entitled to it, simply because it is your special day, a celebration of the day you came to be on this planet.  That is big!  It is the day that you should take off from work, sleep late, and indulge yourself with all your favorites.  It is a day to pamper and spoil yourself rotten – it is all about you.  If nobody remembers it, you did, and you were good to yourself, and that counts too.  Make your day count, you are not an amoeba (not that there is anything wrong with being an amoeba) you are special, so start treating yourself that way.

For my birthday, two wishes came true – a copy of The Grievers from author Marc Schuster and a Maneki Neko sculpture from artist Christina Colwell of Helix Art and Glass.  Both things, I have coveted for a while and finally got them on the perfect day.   Here is a picture of them.

Now, I have plans for my anniversary, which is coming soon 🙂  but that my friends, is another post.

Here I leave you with this blog post from thoughtsontheatre – http://thoughtsontheatre.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/how-to-be-kind-to-yourself/

and an expression from a fellow blogger Eric Wang – Healthdemystified  that I read and love – “I’m gonna live my life in constant beta.”

When to Mind your Fabulous Business and Shut Up.

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Duality of Mind

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This morning, as I scanned the FB comments, I stopped at one made by Paolo Coelho – “What other people think of you is none of your business.”  I thought, excellent words of wisdom, but not easy to follow them.  The truth is that doing that is really very difficult because it goes against our human nature.  As a social species, we want to be liked by others,  and we love to be accepted and celebrated by others.  We want to share our wisdom with others, wether blogging, writing a book, talking to family or friends, thru a painting exposition …  We want to achieve but we also want those achievements to be recognized.  We do mind what other people think and say of us, and maybe we give too much importance on what others think of us.  That is why I thought that those words were such an epiphany – “What other people think of you is none of your business.”

If we lived that way we would be so much happier with the world around us and with the world within us.  We would be less critical of others and of ourselves.  We would spend less time worrying and sulking and more time dreaming and doing.  Ever tried to talk to someone who refutes or challenges every word that comes from your mouth – even if you are talking about laundry?  Well, I have, and let me tell you that it is the hardest thing to do, because it is impossible to have a normal conversation with that person.  This is when those words work well and instead of forcing a conversation or defending mine, I choose to mind my fabulous business and shut up, and in the way to happy land, I realize that Paolo Coelho is right – what other people think of me is none of my fabulous business.

Expanding Your Horizon

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Rendition of Homer's view of the world (prior ...

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If you are human, you have a set of beliefs.  Those beliefs form as you grow up and are highly influenced by culture, family, country … and many other things.  In a way, you identify with those beliefs, in a way, they are you, part of you.  I know people who are so set in their beliefs that refuse to explore beyond their horizon or entertain another point of view.  These people may fear that by opening their mind to receive information that may or may not contradict their belief system, they might cheat on that same system or worst, lose themselves – I pity them.  Why?  Because opening your mind to try to understand something and exploring information does not in any way diminish what you think, or believe; on the contrary, if you truly respect your beliefs, there is no need to fear new information.  What would have happened if all the explorers and scientists of the past had not stepped one foot pass their comfort zone (beliefs) and try to expand what they already knew or believed?  You answer that question, since the answer is obvious.

I used to write for a site and the community there seemed very friendly and loved commenting on each other’s work.  There was only one thing that drove me nuts, especially when I wrote a piece of poetry.  I write about many things, true or fictional, and many times, I love to imagine things poetically.  What drove me nuts?  That most times, people thought that the piece of poetry was directly related to me, as in true life.  I was too lazy to explain that it was just a piece of writing, many times fictional.

Don’t believe everything you read or are told; expand your horizon, move one step over the flat ocean’s edge and refresh your mind and spirit.  Think for yourself, believe what you must but after you consider the opposite point of view, there is no harm in that; who knows, it may even strengthen your beliefs.  As a writer, you owe it to yourself, and your readers … believe and expand your horizon.

The Three Forgotten Rules for Living

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CHILDREN PLAY ON GARBAGE DUMP - NARA - 544794

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The other day, I was pondering on this adage (yes, I ponder a lot – even as a toddler, according to my Mom) – “Use it up, Make do, Do without.”  I don’t know if you are familiar with it, but it has been thrown around from time to time.  I realized that these words have been forgotten in today’s society.  Although, some people are turning their lives around and embracing these words (many times they are called “greenies”) most people live the opposite to this, at least that is what I’ve observed.  I was there once.

Use it Up – Most people throw away things before they even finish their contents, many times, unused items that they never got to open, spoiled food, and so on.

Make Do – That has become an insult in today’s society.  To some, Make Do is synonym to being a loser, or being poor.  I’ve known people with lots of money that live by the Make Do rule; it doesn’t have to do with how much money you have.  Some people choose this way of living, but this is the minority.

Do Without – This is unheard these days, especially since the invention of credit cards.  It is the source of many tantrums at stores or at home, and I am not talking about kids.  People become miserable if they cannot have stuff NOW!  Do Without? – But that is impossible!

The New Rules of the Game

1.  Use it Halfway, if ever.

2.  Get the newest and latest.

3.  Get it Now before it becomes old.

Disclaimer:  Some people will hate me for this post.  After the Zombies invade, nothing will matter, so old goods will become new again, and the old rules will become survival techniques.

My Enchantment with Turkish Delight

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I love Turkish Delight; it is my weakness and I will succumb to it just as Edmund did in the movie The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  This is one of my favorite books, too.  If you have not tried this delicacy you are missing on a Treat of the Gods.  My sister gave me a box for Christmas once and since then I have been hooked.  Yesterday, I got a surprise from them – yes, you guessed it, a box of the most tempting and scrumptious Turkish Delight.  Why I love it so much? – well, I guess that since I love powder sugar, gummy bears, nuts, and rose water, it was my dream come true when these ingredients came together as the tantalizing treat that it is.  Of course, there is more to it than that, but I leave it up to you to try it and find out for yourself.

Turkish Delight originated in Istanbul, invented by Bekir Effendi, who opened a confectionary store in 1776.  It is called Lokum, and it was a Briton who got hooked on it (in the 19th century) who gave it the name of Turkish Delight.  The man got boxes of it shipped to England under this name.  I guess it stuck and since then it has been called that.  In Australia is has been known as Tom Bee, since this serviceman, Tom Bradfield, was the one introducing it after the war – another poor soul hooked on it.  It has been called many names around the world, Greek Delight, Delicia Turca, Bala de Goma … and so on.

If you decide to try it, don’t blame me if your soul is captured

English: Plates of turkish delight for sale in...

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by this tantalizing and delicious gooey confection – I warned you.

Pride of Workmanship, a Ghost of the Past

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This morning, while answering a comment, the same comment prompted this post.  I love vintage items.  To me, they speak of the pride in workmanship, which is hard to find in mass-produced items today.  Even the vintage Made in Japan items are full of detail if compared, and they were the laughing-stock in those days.  So when I am looking for something, first I look for vintage and then I search for handmade items.  Handmade items have that pride of workmanship that reflects in the object – same as yesteryear charm.  In the process I am helping the planet.

To put this into perspective, lets take luggage as an example.  I am a fan of vintage luggage, especially the old Samsonite.  It was strong, beautiful, and lasted forever.  You can still find this type of luggage from the 40’s in great shape.  Now, compare this to today’s luggage and you get my point – It rips easily, it is plain ugly, the zippers don’t last, and if you travel often, it can get expensive.  Today’s luggage lacks charm, detail, and quality.  It is true that we carry more stuff with us when we travel, and there are more pockets and compartments in today’s luggage; however, it seems as is functionality killed beauty and attention to detail.  Everything is so mass-marketed today, that it has lost enchantment – even books.

With all the technology we have today, things should be better, right?  Well, the opposite seems true.  I see it in many items – clothes, housewares ….  Let’s take books as an example.  Everyone is such in a rush to produce their books and put them out there (whether you self-publish or not) that the story is being sacrificed.  Now, it is all about what is selling in the current market.  So, before the crowds of readers ($$$) go into some other mode, we have to rush to get that story out.  Rush, Rush, Rush – it is all about Rush to get there first, before the market gets cold.  This is how we live today, how we teach our children to live, and how we promote living.  I for once am tired of it.  How do you feel about it?

Sad but beautiful Awakening – Monarch Wings

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This morning, as I sipped my coffee outside, I was talking to my husband and noticed one Monarch butterfly wing on the ground.  I picked it up and was observing its beauty and for the first time realized that it feels similar to a bird wing, except thinner.  Then my husband told me that he saw another one behind the butterfly bush.  We went to see if we could find it and found tons of butterfly wings all over.  It was a sad and beautiful thing at the same time – the only way I can describe it.  I picked up the wings and believed that there most have been tons of butterflies that die; however upon closer inspection of the wings, I realized that maybe only 4 or 5, according to the wings remains.

What caused their death?  I am not sure, but the other day, as I was observing one that was flying I realized that it was too cold for them and wondered why they were still around.  I am not sure if these are the last generation of this year matting but it certainly looks that way, as their color is very intense and bright.  This means that these butterflies did not make it to migration to the south.  A few wings were showing sings of a predator picking thru it, but most were whole.  Later, I decided to learn a bit about monarch butterflies and found a great website which I will share with you for when you want to learn a few interesting bits of info – http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/

On my research I learned that most of the wings belonged to male butterflies, as they have a black dot in one of the veins.  I also learned that there are four generations in a year – March/April, May/June, July/August, and September/October.  The last generation is the only one that gets to migrate, the earlier generations die.  So I am not sure if these are from a third generation that died or from a fourth generation that was born and died due to the recent cold temperatures.  I doubt that they were eaten by predators, since Monarchs are mostly poisonous to birds, insects, and mammals due to their diet – Milkweed.

When we moved into this house there were no flowers or plants only grass.  Over 10 years, I had grown a garden and planted two butterfly bushes which feed a lot of butterflies and even the occasional hummingbird.  I get tons of hummingbird moths as well, an amazing sight.  One time I attempted planting carrots and got butterfly larvae eating on them.  I left the plants so the larvae could nourish from it and continue its life cycle.  The larvae was Monarch butterfly larvae.  It was feeding from carrots; however most information I have read points out that it only survives from milkweed.  I don’t know but they were eating carrot plants and pooping to their contentment.  Later that season I saw tons of beautiful monarchs being born.  One of them even came to me when I was sitting on my steps, and rested on my hand, as if saying thank you for feeding me.

Here are the pictures of this morning’s findings, what looked like tons of fairy wings.

Tons of monarch wings in hubby’s hand.

Monarch wing.  This is a male, see the black dot in the vein.  The rich colors suggest that this might be a fourth generation that never got to migrate.

More male wings.  I think by the amount of wings we found on the floor, maybe four or five butterflies the most – two or three males and maybe the others were female.  These were Monarchs and not Viceroy butterflies which look very similar.  Check out this link to see the differences in the wing pattern, go down to the picture at the end comparing the two butterflies – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Autumn

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Vineyard in Napa Valley

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I love Autumn; it is my favorite season.  So much happens during this time.  Nature becomes a changing painting.  Around mid September, I start preparing to welcome the Fall.  I try to enjoy this season to the max as it is also a prelude to another favorite – Winter.  Most likely, during fall, you will find me doing these activities, some of which I will not be able to do to total contentment this year, since I am in transition to move to VA.  However, I will certainly enjoy as many as I can.

Candles – I start by buying scented candle jars to welcome the season.  Some of my favorites are pumpkin spice, spiced apple, cinnamon spice, vanilla, gingerbread, maple pecan … and other scents.  At the end of fall I make sure that I have a pine or evergreen and cedar scent to welcome Winter.

I also give a good fall cleaning to the house to get it ready for the joyous season.  After that, the home is ready for decorating.  I like to decorate using a natural approach.  Many of the things will be handmade and using natural materials such as leaves, twigs, branches …  Many of these items can be tweaked for the winter, and later on recycled into mulch.  The organic feel is perfect for the season and conveys a warmth and coziness.  The outside decor follows the same approach.  I use some recycled vintage items as well.

Since the weather will be changing, so does the wardrobe.  I enjoy cleaning up closets and getting ready the outfits for the season.  Even hubby’s closet gets the Autumn treatment.  I love to play with fabrics and colors.

I enjoy the no A/C season and take advantage of it by opening all the windows to let the crisp air inside. The cats love it too. Their beds also get the autumn treatment, and get their heavy blankets on.

During this time, I celebrate by enjoying the quiet of the woods and parks.  We take walks, and love the smells of nature – wet leaves that are starting to decompose, the moisture in the air, as well as the crisp air of the season.  The sound of crunching leaves as you walk, the wind, and the scenery that slowly paints itself in nature – a palette of unique colors.  This is the perfect time to pick up fallen leaves and branches to use in the decor.  This is also beach time for me, as I enjoy the beach during fall, not during the summer.  It is not crowded and it is quiet, and the weather is better.  So there are many beach walks during this time.

One of my favorite rituals is to prepare for Halloween; I love the holiday.  In our neighborhood, we get tons of trick or treaters and I enjoy preparing colorful candy bags to give away to the kids.  I love to sit outside with a bucket full of bags while watching the parade of cute costumes.  I pick a favorite costume as a mental exercise.  I prepare 80-100 little bags and most of them go.  Sometimes, my neighbor will have a Halloween bash and most of the traffic will come to our street.  Their home is decorated with all kinds of spooks, smoke, sounds, and moving creatures … Last year two local rock bands played – this is also a treat, and I have grown accustomed to it over the years.  I will certainly miss it once we move.

Finally, I make sure I have some of my favorite treats on hand – the pumpkin or apple pie, hot chocolate, ginger tea, pumpkin spice creamer, cinnamon bun creamer, and the rarely found coconut creamer, mini marshmallows,  and my favorite – the tiny candy corn and pumpkin candy.  These treats make me happy.

And this is how I celebrate Autumn.